Parish Papers eBook

THOUGHTS ON CHRISTIANITY.

I.

WhatisChristianity?

This question refers to a matter of fact. I do
not ask whether the Christian religion is true, but
only, What is the Christian religion? What is
that religion which has existed for eighteen centuries;
which is professed by Christendom; and which has been
more precious than life itself to millions who have
died in its faith, and is so still to millions who
possess it as their peace and joy?

But how are we to obtain a satisfactory reply to this
question? Are we to examine the opinions of all
the various “churches,” “sects,”
or “bodies,” professing Christianity,
in order to determine what it is they profess?
If we adopted such a process of investigation as this,
I believe we would reach, by a longer road, the very
same point which may be reached by a shorter and more
satisfactory process.

For I suppose it will be admitted that the Christian
religion is what Jesus Christ and His apostles taught,
and that we may rely upon the information conveyed
to us in the New Testament as to the sum and substance
of that teaching.

I do not even insist, as essential to my argument,
upon the inspiration of Scripture, according to any
theory whatever of that doctrine; but assume only
that we have in the New Testament a true account of
the teaching of Jesus Christ and His apostles, and
that we are able, therefore, to ascertain from its
pages what their Christianity was as an historical
fact, with as much certainty, surely, as we can
learn from the Koran what Mohammedanism was as taught
by Mohammed, or from any work of philosophy what were
the opinions of its author.

Now, if we read the New Testament with ordinary attention,
we must, I think, be struck by one feature which is
repeated in almost every page, and is manifestly the
all-pervading spirit and life of its teaching,—­that
is, the peculiar place which Christ occupies in relation
to all other persons mentioned there. This person,
Jesus Christ, whoever He was, stands out prominently
before every other teacher of Christian truth.
The apostles speak of Him, point to Him, plead
for Him, labour for Him. He is not the greatest
Teacher merely among themselves, but the only
Teacher, and they but His scholars, who glory in having
nothing of their own to impart, and in being ministers,
“stewards,” only of what they have received
from Him their Master. The subject of all their
preaching is this Person—­not a system of
morality, or doctrines, or truths, apart from, but
embodied in Him who was the Truth and the
Life—­Jesus Christ. The text of all
their teaching is, “God forbid that we should
know anything among you save Jesus Christ.”
In order to see this, take up any epistle, and mark
how often the name of Jesus Christ appears as the ever-present
thought, the centre of every idea.